I've been meaning to come back to this thread but we've all had some sort of illness in our house and now we're finally all doing better and I'm feeling rested again.

We met with a doula this past week and we all really like her a lot. I've never had a doula before and I'm relieved to have found someone to help us out. We have no family support here and no one to watch our kids but she also has a back-up doula who I have met and liked who is more than willing to come help us out too if needed. DH will probably be spending most of the time with the kids while the doula is there for me.

I'm feeling really good physically after a rough couple of weeks with illness. My nesting instinct has not kicked in at all yet. I don't feel like labor is coming anytime soon but both of my kids were past due dates so I am expecting this one to be as well. I don't think my Dr will want me to go much past 42 weeks but overall she is pretty relaxed. Hopefully it won't come to that anyway though.

Baby is growing well--probably another biggie. My first two were good sized.

Mentally, I'm nervous about ending up with another c/s again. I was SO positive last time and sure I was going to VBAC and when it didn't work out I was really devastated. Plus, my c/s last time was complicated and I'm afraid of worse complications if I need another one.

I found out I am GBS+ for the first time. Bummer. I was hoping to stay home as long as possible but my Dr. mentioned that ideally they like to have a dose of antibiotics given 4hrs before birth. This is something new for me as I was negative with my other two kids.

This weekend I think I'm going to try to cross some things off of my to-do list.

Just wanted to introduce myself...I have two boys, both via cs. The first one was when I was 18, let the doc tell me I could only have a 7lb baby vaginally, so when I was 38 weeks and the baby was over 8lbs, I was induced. My body didn't take to it and I was in off and on labor for about a day before they pumped me so full of pitocin it kept going. I was tied to the bed, and eventually had to stay on my left side or the baby's heart rate would drop. 42 hours of labor later, a sick hubby (bf at the time) who hadn't eaten or drank because of nerves for that full 42 hours, they wheeled me in for a c-section...the baby was NOT ready to come out...he basically wouldn't "wake" up for a couple of minutes and we really thought we were going to lose him. He was just fine within a couple of hours.

Anyway, 3 years later, now married, and we were pregnant again. Totally open doctor to a VBAC, but I just was not informed enough and decided that I didn't want my husband to go through the same thing so opted for the cs. The doctor was not impressed with my first cs but cleaned everything up and said I was ok to have another baby after a couple of years.

Well, another 3 years and I may be prego...we weren't really ttc but we weren't preventing ;-)

I just want to hear about others considering VBA2C. I want to have all knowledge and be able to think rationally and have good info if I am pregnant. We live in the Dallas area now (before were small towns) so I know there are MANY obs to choose from!

With DS1 (June 03) I had high bp at 36 weeks and blood tests/monitoring showed it was pre-eclampsia. So they tried to induce me for 2 1/2 days (2 rounds of pitocin/cervadil) while giving me pain meds + bp meds. I had a c/s on day 4 in the hospital.

DS2 (Aug05) started with same scenario. I had been given an ok for vbac IF I came into the hospital in labor and IF I was already progressed/dialated/effaced. But high bp at 36 weeks, so they did an amnio to make sure lungs were good and did a RCS. I didnt know that I could have done anything in my pgy different.

This pgy was a suprise and because I knew more and knew moms that had had vbacs and that I could do things differently, I am very positive this time around. We are taking a Bradley class and trying to keep bp at bay with nutrition, herbal remedies, baby aspirin, water, exercise. I switched obs and will be working with a doula in the hospital, that had her own vbac last year.

9 1/2 weeks to go until due date, and 5 1/2 weeks until my 36 week mark. I feel like if I can keep the bp down and the pre-e away that I can go all the way and hold my little boy in my arms, like I am supposed to, right after birth.

are you eating at least 90-100 grams of protein and have you heard of the brewer diet? I have read a lot about it and it basically suggests that low protein levels in pregnancy are what leads to high bp/pre e. Here is a link: http://http://home.mindspring.com/~djsnjones/I know you don't have long but you can do your best with the time you do have (avoid processed foods, drink whole milk, eat eggs, butter, veggies, everything natural). Are you doing any activity? If you haven't been I wouldn't suggest much, maybe buy the book Active Birth. Here is the link on Amazon:http://http://www.amazon.com/Active-...3061093&sr=8-1 Great info on peri-natal yoga moves! A whole chaper with an hour and a half of yoga instructions. This would be great for you to just relax everyday...maybe help BP? Anyway, here is my two cents. I've learned so much from the mommies here at MDC!!!

are you eating at least 90-100 grams of protein and have you heard of the brewer diet? I have read a lot about it and it basically suggests that low protein levels in pregnancy are what leads to high bp/pre e. Here is a link: http://http://home.mindspring.com/~djsnjones/I know you don't have long but you can do your best with the time you do have (avoid processed foods, drink whole milk, eat eggs, butter, veggies, everything natural). Are you doing any activity? If you haven't been I wouldn't suggest much, maybe buy the book Active Birth. Here is the link on Amazon:http://http://www.amazon.com/Active-...3061093&sr=8-1 Great info on peri-natal yoga moves! A whole chaper with an hour and a half of yoga instructions. This would be great for you to just relax everyday...maybe help BP? Anyway, here is my two cents. I've learned so much from the mommies here at MDC!!!

I think this was directed to me, right? I am averaging about 115 grams of protein a day (range from 90-125). I am a traveling music therapist and walk a good 90 minutes a day. I am taking a Bradley class and doing the recommended stretches for that. I do have some pregnancy/yoga videos, but havent done much with them. Lots of sitting on the birthing ball too. And running after the 2 young boys is quite a bit of activity too

I have my 31 week appt tomorrow and hopefully everything looks good and he is still pro-vbac all the way!

hope you don't mind me bugging you Angewin, did you have this diet and activity with other pregnancies in which you experienced pre-e/high bp? Just wondering. I just noticed in your other post how this time you're trying to...we'll here is what you said: "We are taking a Bradley class and trying to keep bp at bay with nutrition, herbal remedies, baby aspirin, water, exercise."

I am an aspiring midwife and I'm learning so much from everyone. I am anxious to hear how the higher protein and activity will affect things. I am doing high protein as well along with exercise and supplements, etc. I am hoping it will keep me very healthy too!!! I got the advice from a midwife (well, several of them) but I've yet to talk to someone directly with a history of pre-e and BP issues in pregnancy that is doing high protein/activity etc. Hope your feeling as good as I am with the diet and exercise (and chasing little ones!!!). I will be thinking of you for the next 9 weeks!!!!!

Hey SPU, just wanted to give you credit for the Active Birth recommendation. I just read it and it is so great. I'm trying to make time to do the yoga, as the only prenatal yoga class in my town is at a terrible time. Anyway, great book and thanks again for the info!

Hey SPU, just wanted to give you credit for the Active Birth recommendation. I just read it and it is so great. I'm trying to make time to do the yoga, as the only prenatal yoga class in my town is at a terrible time. Anyway, great book and thanks again for the info!

oooh, my copy just came in yesterday...I can't wait to dig into it...i don't have a ton of time left, so I need to get busy reading and then practicing! Glad to hear you liked it too!

I'm planning a HBAC around my due date of April 10th. This will be 2nd child.

First birth probably could've been normal if I was left alone, but, alas my doctor & hospital team were quite obsessed with time. I was almost 2 wks late, my water broke w/ meconium so after 12 hours they gave me pitocin, after a few hours laboring I was tired and out of control (I didn't realize what pitocin did to intensify contractions, I just wanted to go natural), I finally made it through transition and pushed for 3 hours, but was only allowed to push (on my back) every other contraction, then time was up and they were worried about stressing. So...I got a perfect little c-section girl, but have been really bothered and grieved by the experience.

I live in a rural area, and always assumed if we had another I'd go to a midwife with hospital priviledges in Durango, 2 hours away. But they said they were refusing VBACS. As did the midwives practice in Grand Junction, 3 hours away. I was broken hearted, horrified, and pissed. So after much soul searching, I found a great midwife and decided to make it happen on my own. My husband did not like the homebirth idea at all because he's terrified of medical emergencies. But I convinced him I had to do it, both my midwife and doula are EMTs, I found a b&b with free-standing cabin 3 miles from the hospital (an hour away) that has agreed to let me do it there, and am incredibly excited. He's still nervous and pessimistic I can do this, but I feel really great about things. I love my birth team, am a lot more knowledgeable and prepared, and figure if I can make it through pitocin contactions and hospital hysterics I can make it through anything. I have some concerns about my endurance, but feel equipped to let nature run its course. If it isn't meant to be, I'll find out, but I'm planning for a smooth natural HBAC!

If you made it this far, thanks for reading. It is nice to have a place to share and find support. And I think I may try to borrow or check out "Active Birth." Sounds like a great resource for confidence and comfort in labor.

hope you don't mind me bugging you Angewin, did you have this diet and activity with other pregnancies in which you experienced pre-e/high bp? Just wondering. I just noticed in your other post how this time you're trying to...we'll here is what you said: "We are taking a Bradley class and trying to keep bp at bay with nutrition, herbal remedies, baby aspirin, water, exercise."

I didnt know I could do anything about it. After my first son was born, I was told you either get it or you dont, but there is only a very slim chance it could happen again. And the ob that I thought was vbac friendly (or I chose to see him as vbac friendly) wasnt so much and told me after my 2nd c/s that it was only c/s for me from then on. I didnt do anything different in pgy 1 or pgy 2. After that I found a local group of AP parents and saw what could be done after a c/s and what you could do in higher risk pregnancies to better control (at least partially) any outcomes. I found a new ob (through the same group) that was open to my situation and then I made my self as informed as I could.

My 31 week appt a few days ago went wonderfully. I had a 1 lb loss (+16 from pre-pgy) in 3 weeks, perfect bp, measuring a week ahead, and no swelling at all. With ds1 and ds2, the swelling started by 26 weeks or so (but they were also due in the July/Sept vs a late March due date this time). Thanks for the positive thoughts!

I'm hoping to have a VBA2C at the end of March early April. I am 32 weeks now.

My son was born cs as a result of fetal distress and a short umbilical cord.

I was planning a VBAC with my daughter and never went into labor. the doctor found that I had a "window" or dehiscence in my uterus when she did the cs.

Now I am hoping to have a VBA2C, but I still have work to do to see how my uterus looks/how thick it is at the site of my last cs's since I am at a much greater risk for rupture. My last cs was 14 months ago and 15.5 to 16 months will have passed at the time of my delivery.

I'm very hopeful and excited. I have an ultrasound 2/24. And my OB is supportive, though she was traumatized by the dehiscence she found at my last cs.

I really want to do the best for myself and my baby, but I hope to get my freedom back from cs!

I'm going to get that Active Birth book.

I have a question for you all. I tried visualizing as I prepared for my last birth and I stopped because as I became relaxed I would get to a particular point and begin to twitch and the twitching would become so intense that I was uncomfortable. What do you think of that? Any suggestions?